The amount of transitions in Osmond's program is incredible. Every single element is performed out of connecting movements and has footwork coming out of them as well. She's an incredible performer. Always gives it 110%. Great attack.

One thing I would really like her to improve is her posture. Her back makes me cringe, she was slouching throughout.

But yes, if she skates like this at Worlds, everything is possible really. A clean Kim is out of reach but I think that a clean Osmond would be capable of beating anybody else, if they make mistakes.

I love Lacoste's skating but it's just so frustrating to see her crack under pressure time and time again. :( I mean 3loop is her favourite and best jump, can't believe she fell on it out of all things...

It's incredible that a sixth placed lady has landed a clean 3lutz/3toe! Good times for Canadian skating.

Alexe Gilles - once a GP competitor - only 12th after a disappointing performance.

Kate Charbonneau 14th after blowing all her jumping passes. :/ So sad because her skating is really beautiful. I wish she could develop more consistency.

Grenier and Rheault who were 7th and 8th last year, trailing the field in 17th and 18th this time round. :/

Is Alexe Gilles a Canadian now? Did not know the whole family became Canadian?

The amount of transitions in Osmond's program is incredible. Every single element is performed out of connecting movements and has footwork coming out of them as well. She's an incredible performer. Always gives it 110%. Great attack.

One thing I would really like her to improve is her posture. Her back makes me cringe, she was slouching throughout.

But yes, if she skates like this at Worlds, everything is possible really. A clean Kim is out of reach but I think that a clean Osmond would be capable of beating anybody else, if they make mistakes.

I agree that just about anything is possible for Kaetlyn. No skater has built up unbeatable momentum the way Kostner did last year or Ando did the year before. The ladies field is still wide open and unfortunately the level of technical content is pretty weak, making it easier for Osmond--a strong jumper with great presentation--to break through. And she'll be skating in her home country; if Artur Gachinski can get a bronze skating in Worlds in Russia, why not Osmond?

If Kim/Kostner/Asada are perfect, then I'd expect them to be ahead of a perfect Osmond, but it's not likely that they'll all be perfect.

Originally Posted by eyria

Yes, I agree. It's a great program, and she sells it well. But Yuna and Carolina win if all three skate clean in the SP. I think Ashley and Mao might top Kaetlyn too, if all skate clean, but it might depend a bit more on points, GOE, etc., and Kaetlyn will get an extra boost from the Canadian crowd at Worlds.

I do really like Kaetlyn. Love her speed, energy, animation, and lack of fear! Her posture is a bit of a question mark, though. She has great movement through her body--she skates "loose," which I love--but the classic skating posture is not there. She is lovely, though.

I think that if Osmond is clean in the SP, it'll be easier for her to stay close to the veterans (even if they're clean) in that segment than in the FS. The PCS factoring is lower in the SP and that's a big advantage of the veterans versus Osmond. Osmond also has a 3/3 which is a huge help in the SP, and Mao and and Ashley do not.

Osmond also doesn't have the wow factor of the 3/3 in the FS, though the 2A/3T means she's not actually hurting herself in base value.

Originally Posted by shine

I don't see the posture problem that some speak off. She's rough aroun the edges still, but I think her upper body carriage is pretty good. From what I've seen of her this season, the only thing that Kim has a clear advantage of over Osmond is a 3lutz/3toe, and probably higher PCS due to reputation.

Well, all three of the ladies world champions who will be at Worlds have stronger reputations than Osmond, which generally correlates with higher PCS.

She is energetic, but even a clean Liza T. or Adelina should be able to beat her in the SP? Their programs are alike, and frankly I like Liza's program better. Osmond program's second half leaves a lot to be desired. It slowed down a lot after the 2A.

Eliza would be outlevelled and the GOEs would favour Osmond. PCS would be closer, but Osmond should really be pulling in huge choreography and transition scores - few programs are as packed as this one. Adelina has beaten her in the short program this season already (Nebelhorn), so that's obviously possible.

If everyone skated cleanly at Worlds I predict Osmond would place between 3rd and 5th in the SP. Definitely behind Yu Na (probably by atleast 6 points), behind Kostner, and I could see her being placed either over or below a clean Asada and Wagner if they are still only doing 3/2s depending how the judges feel that day. I think she would beat the Russians, Sotnikova's reputation is continously going down the longer she keeps failing to deliver, and I agree on ImaginaryPogue's assessment of how she would be scored vs Elizaveta in the SP, atleast in Canada.

I agree though the LP would probably be harder vs the veteran skaters as the PCS is a bigger factor there.

What are you talking about? She does some footwork out of the 2A, does a stag jump before changing direction, then goes right into her straight line steps, which is a level four. After the sitspin combo, she does a half loop into split jump which leads right into her final spin combination. Empty?? Her SP is seriously as packed as any ladies short program can be and that's exactly what makes her stand out.

ITA. When you talk about a program packed with transitions, this is packed. Whoever put this program together really knows how to milk points out of the system; there are transitions into and out of every single element, right on down to the spins and they aren't easy transitions either. That kick coming out of the 3-3...to have enough speed and control to kick and turn out of that is pretty awesome.

I definitely could see her cracking the top five this year if she goes clean. She's not as strong in the LP but her SP should keep her within striking distance. I don't think she'll hit 70 at worlds but I think 65-68 is a strong possibility if she skates like that.

Wow. She really skated well and seemed to be enjoying as well.
She doesn't look like a junior either. Great program, well skated.
I'm looking forward to seeing her skating for many years in the future.

I don't see the posture problem that some speak off. She's rough aroun the edges still, but I think her upper body carriage is pretty good. From what I've seen of her this season, the only thing that Kim has a clear advantage of over Osmond is a 3lutz/3toe, and probably higher PCS due to reputation.

Yuna has quite a bit more advantage than only her 3Lz+3T against Kaetlyn, especially in the free skate. Kaetlyn's LP has no 3/3, repeats only the Flip and the Toe, whereas Yuna repeats the Lutz and Salchow. And of course there's a huge PCS gap, though Worlds being in Canada may narrow it a little bit. Kaetlyn also has a mild Flutz. Interestingly, both of them omit the 3Loop.

ITA. When you talk about a program packed with transitions, this is packed. Whoever put this program together really knows how to milk points out of the system; there are transitions into and out of every single element, right on down to the spins and they aren't easy transitions either. That kick coming out of the 3-3...to have enough speed and control to kick and turn out of that is pretty awesome.

It's all the more impressive for the fact that it's not really milking points out of the system. Most judges couldn't care less about transitions and you can point many examples of skaters getting high GOEs and PCS despite having empty programs. Fortunately Osmond is not one of them.

And I hope that she's just not making the effort now and will stop once the reputation is in place.

And of course there's a huge PCS gap, though Worlds being in Canada may narrow it a little bit. Kaetlyn also has a mild Flutz. Interestingly, both of them omit the 3Loop.

Thanks for posting the link to Yu Na's FS at the Korean Nationals. I watched it and thought it was very well skated overall. She certainly still has the jumps and I wouldn't worry about the freak fall and pop Lutz in the SP since they don't mean anything.

I am not up to date on Yu Na's coaching situation but I am a little surprised by the choreography in her Les Misérables Free Skate in that it is somewhat below what she is capable of doing. Let me start by stating the PCS breakdown that I would have given her on that performance and then I'll explain in details.

SS = 8.25
TR = 6.50
PE = 9.00
CH = 7.50
IN = 8.00

Without a question, she delivered the performance very well and showcased great finesse in the overall delivery, hence the high PE and SS scores. In between the elements however, there is very little intricacy that link each element to the next. You could say, it was overly simplistic and not enough effort was put into the choreography to showcase her ability to use edges in different direction. Perhaps it was done to ensure she lands her jumps but the lack of difficult transitions are quite glaring and impossible to miss. Overall, the choreography is just not very detailed meaning she could have done a lot more with her chosen music. As for the interpretation, she portrayed a the sadness of her character throughout the skate but the music had different highs and lows and sadness or in French, les misères, wasn't the only emotions to be conveyed. See a clip of Laetitia Hubert skating to the a very similar cut of the music here at the 1995 Worlds : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sVv91F7-Jg#t=2m52s Yu Na failed to show the highs and lows in this chosen masterpiece - her facial expression stayed at one level throughout the skate.

Quite honestly, the lack of mileage is very evident in this performance despite a seemingly clean performance. Setting aside her reputation, this performance would struggle to get an average of 8 in PCS. Whereas someone like Osmond who doesn't have the experience or polish of Yu Na but have instead got a lot of mileage on her FS, you could clearly see a very noticeable difference between Osmond's FS from a PCS standpoint at her first competition in Germany vs. the most recent performance in Canada.

The point is, I think some people may be in for a surprise if Yu Na doesn't get sky high PCS with such a program at Worlds. For appearing only at a minor International event and at Korean nationals, she would also not having been seen by many ISU judges. If not for you linking her performance at Korean Nationals, I would have missed it as well. I think she is depriving herself the chance of getting some valuable feedback for her programs and I saw her sitting with presumably her Korean coach in the kiss & cry, it would seem this program also showed she is not getting the top notch coaching she needs to remain the overwhelming favorite. Reputation point has it limits, I am giving you my honest take on Yu Na and I think she has a lot of work to do.